Joint Commission Debuts Refreshed 'Speak Up' Program to Educate and Empower Patients

To help educate and empower patients to play active roles in their care, the Joint Commission today debuted its refreshed Speak Up™ program featuring the Speak Up™ About Your Care campaign. The revamped program includes a fresh look and updated content for free, downloadable educational materials for the public.

The new materials include:
• An infographic (available in three sizes) for patients
and families.
• An animated video (available in English and Spanish) to incorporate in hospital programming.
• A new podcast for health care professionals on the value of the program.
• A distribution guide with recommendations on how healthcare organizations can use the materials.

Launched in 2002, the Speak Up™ About Your Care campaign encourages patients to be their own advocate and to:
• Speak up
• Pay attention
• Educate yourself
• Advocates (family members and friends) can help
• Know about your new medicine
• Use a quality health care organization
• Participate in all decisions about your care

“We are pleased to refresh the Speak Up™ program, starting with the Speak Up™ About Your Care campaign that first launched more than 15 years ago as the foundation to this patient education program,” says Ana Pujols McKee, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer, the Joint Commission. “When patients and their families become advocates in their own health care, they are able to speak up when something doesn’t seem right and make well-informed care decisions. Together, patients and their care team can work to reduce preventable harm.”

The Speak Up™ program was refreshed after national market research in 2017, including focus group feedback from patients and their families. The focus group identified a need for more succinct and visual materials. Additional Speak Up™ campaigns will be updated and debuted over the next several years.

Source: Joint Commission